WORD.

Questing for the Holy Grail — publication. By Anthony Tao

The bulging envelope from Colorado was not met with delight. When it arrived at her Los Angeles home two years ago, Tory Fine, then 16, was sure her hopes had been squashed again.

Inside the manila envelope was her manuscript, a 200-page young-adult novel about a girl in post-World War II Ireland. In Fine’s pursuit of publication, she had read “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing” cover-to-cover, sent out no less than 30 query letters and dealt with numerous rejections. When she finally did find a literary agent who was interested in her manuscript, she sent it to him over e-mail. Now it had been sent back — Rejected again, she thought.

But as she wearily rummaged through the contents, she came upon a professionally designed letter with words she had been waiting six months — and, in a sense, her entire life — to read: “We’d like to represent you…”

“I think I’ve cried only twice in my life from being really excited,” said Fine, a Medill freshman, “that and getting into Northwestern.”

“That” was the culmination of a two-year quest that began with a trip to Ireland when she was 14. News of this “teenage novelist” spread quickly, earning her some well-deserved publicity — coverage in a local newspaper, a profile in The Daily (Feb. 27) and a chance to speak at the NU Center for Talent Development’s year-end ceremony.

But the title “novelist” may be misleading — the book, “Folklore,” hasn’t hit the shelves yet, and Fine’s agent says he doesn’t expect it to for another two to three years. It’s just one of the frustrating parts of a publication process that other students at NU know all too well.

Adam Bertocci, a Communication junior, is a self-proclaimed “failed novelist.” He finished a 501-page (Microsoft Word, double-spaced) “science fiction comedy” during the summer before entering college and shopped it around with three publishing companies. Just two weeks ago, his mom informed him that his third rejection letter had finally come in the mail. “The funny thing is, by this time I had forgotten I had written a novel,” Bertocci said.

He described the rejections as disappointing, but said he got over them fairly quickly.

“The catchphrase they like to use is it doesn’t ‘fit their needs’ or what they’re ‘looking for at that time,'” Bertocci said. “It sucks when you get (the rejection letters), but 10 minutes later it’s like, OK, whatever.”

Other students, like Communication junior Joey Elkins, have stories they think are publishable. Elkins has a 291-page (in book format) children’s novel that has gotten several positive reactions.

“Writing is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Elkins said. “You read about all these young authors and you read their stuff and you think, ‘What’s so special about that?’ I figured I might as well try publishing.”

The luster of the title “teenage novelist” drives many young writers to set early publication as a goal, but English professor Mary Kinzie cautions against having such expectations.

“My perspective on this is contained in one word of advice,” she said: “Wait.”

Prior to her sabbatical this year, Kinzie had been the director of NU’s Creative Writing Program since 1979. In that time, she has seen her share of talented young writers, but her stance on publication has always remained the same.

“It’s very easy to be cornered by early success,” Kinzie said. “Even if someone’s been writing since age 4 or 8 or 10, they haven’t been writing at the peak of their mature powers. The danger is getting frozen in a kind of style and subject matter that gets you an agent but isn’t artistic — you may become successful, but that doesn’t mean you’re good.”

Justin Tackett, a Weinberg freshman, said he understands Kinzie’s viewpoint but won’t let it hinder his dream of publication. He’s currently working on a novel he describes as “philosophical fiction,” and said he is seriously considering taking a year off from school if he can’t finish the book by the end of this summer.

Tackett, like Fine, bought and read a book about the publication process, and he thinks he’s ready. “I’m more excited than nervous or fearful about it,” he said. Tackett has no doubt he wants to be a novelist.

Even so, Kinzie would discourage students like him from expending too much effort in search of agents or publishers. One of her primary concerns is that a young writer will stop experimenting with his or her style and abandons the fruitful practice of “lingering in artistic doubts and uncertainties.”

“It’s very easy to be glib about writing and glib about art,” Kinzie said.

If, however, (as Kinzie admits) it can be possible for a young writer to publish a book without getting trapped by early success, Tory Fine seems to be the archetype. Fine recognizes deficiencies in her previous writings — especially in her first novel — that motivate her to improve.

“I think my writing style was original but very simplistic,” Fine said. “It was flowery but it had a more simplistic meaning to it. I think everyone (has) always called me precocious for my age since I was little, but you can’t have the mind of a 40-year-old when you’re 14.”

“Now I try really hard to reinvent the way people look at things when I’m writing. I like to say more and make people think differently about things, but with less words,” she said.

Fine’s high standards and self-scrutiny are only a couple of reasons why her literary agent, Andy Whelchel, thinks she could be “the next big thing.”

“I think she has an amazing amount of talent,” said Whelchel, who represents about 70 clients, including several best-selling authors. “Her writing style is so mature. I really think in the long run she will be one of the better authors of her generation.”

Fine has certain qualities that make the question of publication for her not a question of “If,” but a question of “When?” Her persistence borders on stubbornness, and her passion for writing extends to life, which she tries to live to its fullest. Fine has traveled extensively — to 14 countries and every continent except Africa and Antarctica — has talked with director Steven Spielberg and his kids (“They’re really cool,” she said) and has won the Miss Junior Beverly Hills pageant twice — the only two times she entered. Her experiences are evident in her works, though she’s always looking to try something new — “I just feel like I need to experience more of the world before I’m able to be profound,” she said.

Fine is currently working on a second, more serious novel, premised on the question, “How would knowledge of your past life affect your present and your future?” In addition, she plans to write a non-fiction travel guide for college students.

While training to be a foreign correspondent (she’s double-majoring in journalism and international studies), juggling schoolwork with activities and a busy social life, Fine admits she has not written much in the past six months, breaking a long habit of writing two hours every day. But in no way does she plan to leave writing out of her future.

“There will always be time to write stuff down, so I’d rather gain as much life experience as possible first,” Fine said. “So I have more to write about later.” 

Nine things you need to do to publish a book:

1. Write a book. Have someone who doesn’t like you read said book. If they tell you it’s good, then you may continue.

2. Read a book. Learn how the publishing business works. Look like you know what you’re doing.

3. Be on a first name basis with every employee at Kinko’s. Behold the discount. Send out query letters. Then send out more.

4. Be persistent. This is code for obnoxious with class. Don’t get discouraged, someone will notice you soon.

5. Sign with an agent first. This agent knows more than you do, even if you did read the book in step two. He or she has connections and can get you more money once a publisher recog
nizes your genius.

6. Build a fan club. The more people who want to read your book, the more likely publishers will want to read it too.

7. Forget you wrote a novel. The publishing business is slower than your grandmother’s Cadillac. Move on with your life.

8. Write another novel. Publishers want writers with futures. Enter writing contests, continue honing your skills and make your resume reflect your commitment to writing.

9. Learn something entirely new. Travel, practice tai kwon do. Give yourself something to write about.

AND FROM HER CURRENT PROJECT:

2nd Manuscript: The Red Notebook (working title)

Synopsis: The story of a young woman’s struggle to decipher how wisdom from a life 1,500 years ago will ultimately affect her future.

My eyes snapped open. A rustle of body-warm sheets. The soft ticking of my old alarm clock. The Paris-In-The-Fall Dream hanging, strung-up laundry above my pillow. In the familiar darkness of my bedroom, it seemed odd to be able to picture the streaks of grease on the small aluminum tabletop. To feel the damp slaps of wind.

I began to remind myself. In the daytime, I growl back at impudent dogs. I smile at young lovers, no matter the position of their coats. And little boys don’t know any better. Yes. In the dark, staring at the bowler-hat shadow that my bureau made against the wall, I was reassured. Just a dream-child. I turned over and pulled the thick comforter closer to me.

Where are you from? Where are you going?

I shook my head back and forth. The words rumbled and bounced around inside it.

The sandy-haired-dream-boy was too young to realize that it took whole lifetimes to find answers to those questions.

Or that those answers could vanish in a day.